Cigar bunch machines



y 15, 1956 K. E. GRANSTEDT CIGAR BUNCH MACHINES 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 6, 1954 lIIIII'IIII'II'I'IIII'IIIIIIIIIIIIII a w m m M? INVENTOR K. E. GRANSTEDT Y May 15, 1956 K. E. GRANSTEDT 2,745,412

CIGAR BUNCH MACHINES Filed April 6, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR K. E. GRANSTEDT May 15, 956 K. E. GRANSTEDT CIGAR BUNCH MACHINES 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 6, 1954 INVENTOR K. E. GRANSTEDT United States Patent O CIGAR BUNCH MACHINES Karl Erik Granstedt, Stockholm, Sweden, assignor to Arenco Aktiebolag, Stockholm, Sweden, a Swedish joint-stock company Application April 6, 1954, Serial No. 421,272

Claims priority, application Sweden April 22, 1953 3 Claims. (Cl. 131-52) This invention relates to cigar bunch machines of the kind in which filler tobacco is wound into a binder by means of an apron placed on a rolling table whereafter the cigar bunch thus produced is delivered by the apron to a gripper at the front end of the rolling table. The bunch gripper has for structural reasons a certain minimumdepth and in devices hitherto known the hunch is allowed to drop freely relatively deeply into the open gripper whereby it might happen that the bunch moves longitudinally so that it does not enter. the gripper correctly. Since the inner contour of the closed gripper is the same as the desired contour of the finished bunch the gripper might in case of such unintentional displacement of the bunch jam and damage the latter or compress it irregularly. it is an object of the present invention to remove said drawback. A further object of the invention consists in the provision of simple and efficient means for. positively controlling the bunch when descending in the open gripper. Still another object of the invention consists in the provision of means for positively and incessantly controlling the bunch from its formation until the gripper has closed about it.

With these and other objects not specifically mentioned, in view, the invention consists in certain constructions and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter fully described and set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l is a side elevational view, partly in section, of a cigar bunch'machine provided with means embodying'the invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the machine with the bunch gripper removed therefrom;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the machine from which the bunch rolling apron is removed and in which the various movable parts occupy the initial positions shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 1V-IV of Fig. 3 and illnstratin one step of the operation of the machine whereby certain machine parts occupy other positions than those shown in Fig. 3; and

Figs. 5 to 7 are similar sectional views illustrating subsequent steps of the operation.

The machine has a rolling table 1, a bunch rolling apron 2 placed on the table and a bunch roller 3 for operating the apron 2 which in its initial position (Fig. it) has a pocket 4 for receiving a tobacco portion which by the apron 2 is wound into a binder placed on said apron whereby a cigar bunch is produced. These parts and their operations are commonly known in the cigar manufacture art. The bunch roller 3 is mounted on a forked arm 5 which is secured to a shaft 7 rotatably mounted in the machine frame 6. The forked end of the arm 5 carries a pin 39 positioned in front of the bunch roller 3. The arm 5 is by means of an articulated rod 8 connected to another arm 9 which is secured to a shaft 10 rotatably journalled in the machine frame. The arm 9 carries a follower 11 engaging a groove 12 in a cam 13 which is secured to a drive shaft 14 rotatably mounted in the machine frame. To the shaft 14 is secured an- 2,745,412 Patented May 15 1956 other cam 15 which operates a lever 16 secured to a shaft 17 rotatably mounted in the machine frame. The lever 16 is by an articulated rod 18 connected to an arm 19 which is secured to a shaft 20, rotatably mounted in the machine frame, and serves as a device for tensioning the apron 2.

A bunch gripper 21, consisting of two jaws 21a and 21b, is movable in thedirection of the arrow from the bunch receiving position (Fig. 3) in front of the rolling table 1 to a position (not shown) for the delivery of the bunches whereafter the gripper is returned to the position shown in Fig.- 3. The gripper jaw 21a is by means of arms 22 secured to a slide 24 which is slidably mounted on a guide rail 23 which is secured to brackets 51 on the machine frame and extends in parallel with the front edge of the rolling table 1 and to the bunch delivery station.

The slide 24 is connected to a conventional mechanism (not shown) driven from the shaft 14 to reciprocate the gripper 21 between the bunch receiving position (Fig. 3) and the bunch delivery position (not shown). To the slide 24 are secured two arms 25 carrying a rotatable shaft 26. To the shaft 26 are secured two arms 27 carrying the jaw 21b attached to them. To the shaft 26 is also secured an arm 47 which is connected to the slide 24 by means of a tension spring 28 and has an adjustable stop screw 51') which by the spring 28 is held in engagement with the base portion 25a of one of the arms 25 when the gripper 21 is kept closed as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. To the shaft 26 is also secured a downwardly directed arm 29.

Within the gripper 21 is provided an up and down movable carrier member consisting of a piston 31 which is vertically slidably mounted in a standard 33 and in a top plate 32 of the latter. The top plate 32 is located below the front end of the rolling table 1 and slightly below the gripper 21 when the latter is in its bunch receiving position in front of the rolling table 1. The piston 31 has two laterally extending pins 34 which project outwardly through diametrically opposite vertical slots 46 in the standard 33 and further each into'a slot 35 in an arm 36. Both the arms 36 are secured to a shaft 37 which is rotatablygmounted in standards 38 and is rigidly connected with an arm 39. The arm 39 has an elongated hole 40 through which it is pivotally connected to a lever 41 actuated by a tension spring 48 and secured to a shaft 42 rotatably journalled in the machine frame. The lever 41 has a follower 43 which rides on a cam 44 secured to a shaft 45 whichis driven by the shaft 14 by the intermediary of a gear train 49, 52, 39, 81.

In operation, the advancing bunch roller 3 winds in conventional manner by means of the apron 2 the filler tobacco into the binder. When the advancing bunch roller 3 approaches the front edge or" the rolling table 1 the closed gripper 21 is kept in position at said front edge (Figs. 1 and 3) simultaneously as the piston 31 occupies its bottom position. Immediately before the bunch roller 3 has reached the position shown in Pig. 4 the lever 41 moves the piston 31 into its top position just below the top of the gripper to form a trough therewith, and thereafter the pin 30 abuts the arm 29 and swings the gripper jaw 21b outwardly away from the gripper jaw 21a so that the gripper 21 is opened (Fig. 5) on tensioning the spring 23. Thereby the bunch A is arrested by the jaw 21b the upper edge of which is located at a somewhat higher level than that of the jaw 21a so that the bunch will occupy a position at rest upon the elevated piston 31. The arm 19 is swung rearwardly so that the rolling apron 2 is tensioned whereby it will exercise a downward'pressure upon the bunch A resting on the piston 31. The rearward swing of the arm 19 continues so that the apron 2 will be tensioned still more and simultaneously the piston 31 -starts a 'downward movement (Fig 6) .withtthe hunch clamped between .thefpiston arm 29 so that the spring 28 will return the jaw 21b to close the gripper 21 about the bunch whereafter the gripper is displaced along the guide '23 to transfer the bunch to the delivery station.

I claim:

1. In acigar'bunch machinq a rolling table, a bunch rolling apron placed on said-table, apron tensioning elevated within the gripper just below the top thereof immediately adjacent-the edge of said table to form a trough with said gripper, said apron is projected beyond the front end of said rolling table to deliver a bunch directly onto said carrier, the apron is tensioned to urge the bunch downwardly against said carrier and into said gripper, and said carrier is simultaneously started downwardly with the bunch clamped between said carrier and the projecting end of the tensioned apron.

2. In a cigar bunch machine, a rolling table having a front'and a rear end, a bunch rolling apron placed on said table, apron tensioning means attached to said apron,

means for periodicallyoperating said tensioning means, a

bunch gripper having two laterally opening gripping jaws at'the front end of said table defining a verticalbunch receiving opening, means for laterally opening and closing said bunch receiving jaws, means for operating said'apron to wind filler tobacco into a binder placed on said apron,

a bunch carrier reciprocally mounted in. the Opening bea 4 V a tween said gripping jaws, means for reciprocating said carrier vertically between the .top ,and the bottom of the opening defined by said gripper jaws, and means operatively connecting said means for opening and closing said gripper jaws, said carrier. reciprocating means, said apron operating means, and saidapron tensioning means, whereby said jaws are opened, said carrier is elevated within the opening defined by said jaws just below the t p t of mmedia y adjac nt the front edg ,o said table to form a trough with said jaws, said apron is projected beyond the front end of said rolling table rodeliver a bunch directly onto said carrier, the apron is tensioned to urge :the bunch downwardly against said carrier.

and into the gripper, and said carrier is simultaneously started downwardly with the bunch clamped between said carrier and the projecting end oft-he tensioned apron, and said gripper jaws are closed on said bunch.

3. In a cigar bunch machine, a rolling table, a bunch rolling apron placed on said table, a bunch gripper at one endof said table having a vertical bunch receiving opening therethrough, means for operating said apron to windjfiller tobacco into a binder placed on'said apron, a bunch carrier reciprocally mounted in the opening in said gripper, means for reciprocating saidcarrier vertically'between the top and the bottom of said opening in the gripper, and means operatively connecting said carrier reciprocating means and said apron operating means, whereby said carrier is elevated within the gripper just below the top thereof immediately adjacent the edge of said table to form a trough'with said gripper, said apron is projected beyond the 'front end of said rolling table to deliver a bunch directly onto' said carrier, the apron "is tensioned to urge the bunch downwardly against said carrier and into said gripper, and said carrier ,is simultaneously started downwardly with the bunch clamped'between said carrier-and the projecting end of the tensioned apron.

References Cited inthe file of this patent STATES PATENTS 1,543,876 Rundell e June 30,1925 2,022,575 Stelzer 4., NOV. 26, 1935 2,033,310 Stelzer Mar.:10, 19 36 FOREIGN PATENTS," 7 259,281 Germany "A r. 29 19-13v 

